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This is a busy time for state legislators. The first half of every odd-numbered year is spent working on the state budget, which we draft as a series of bills that go through the House, Senate, then to the governor for final approval. This process is necessary to fund our state government and all the programs and services it provides. In addition to this, I have been working on several pieces of legislation that I would like to highlight, as well as a huge development at home in the district.

This year I introduced House Bill 24, along with my colleague, Representative Mike Dovilla, to better protect our elderly citizens. This bill passed in the Ohio House on Tuesday, March 17th with bipartisan support. HB 24 reformats the way in which the Department of Job and Family Services handles elder abuse in Ohio, and would create the Elder Abuse Commission to formulate and recommend strategies on matters related to elder abuse. I am working hard to keep our elderly Ohioans safe, and hope to see fast action by the Ohio Senate on this bill.

In addition, we in the Ohio House have passed House Bill 61. This bill, sponsored by Representatives Jim Buchy and Dave Hall, does more to protect the Lake Erie basin from the effects of chemicals related to agriculture. The House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, of which I am a member of, has been traveling the state to hear testimony from local officials, experts and residents on this issue. The traveling committee process has been instrumental in evaluating and developing this plan to protect our Great Lake.

Lastly, I wanted to make note of an exciting development in my hometown of Hamilton. StarTek Inc., which was looking for a location in the greater Cincinnati area to expand its operations, chose Hamilton as its new home, bringing along 682 new jobs. This all began when StarTek needed a location to store some furniture and Hamilton city officials stepped up to help the company. This is an enormous boost to our already revitalizing area, and I am so proud to call Hamilton home.

As we continue to work on the state budget and legislation here in the House, I hope you will not hesitate to contact my office with any questions, comments or concerns you may have. We have a lot of exciting work ahead, and I hope I can count on you, my constituents, to help me in my job of representing the 51st Ohio House District.

State Representatives Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) and Margaret Conditt (R-Liberty Twp.) today announced that they have introduced legislation that will increase the penalties for those who knowingly sell illegal substances to pregnant women.

State Representative Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) today was sworn in as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 130th General Assembly. He represents the 51st Ohio House District, which includes portions of southern Butler County.